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June 14, 2024

FBI Director Wray Travels to Nigeria, Meets with President Tinubu and Senior Officials

FBI Director Christopher Wray traveled to Abuja, Nigeria, this week and met with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu, and senior law enforcement and security officials to discuss the FBI's partnership with Nigeria to combat terrorism, violent crime, and cybercrime.

During his June 12-14 visit, Director Wray expressed appreciation to Nigerian President Tinubu and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for Nigeria's commitment to collaborating with the FBI to confront transnational criminal and terrorist threats. He discussed the FBI's work with the Nigerian National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) and ONSA to support counterterrorism investigations, an initiative closely aligned with both nations' security priorities.

Director Wray also met with the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and commended the EFCC's close cooperation with the FBI to combat cyber-enabled crimes and sextortion schemes emanating from Nigeria. He discussed opportunities for the FBI to provide additional training and resources to expand the EFCC's capacity to investigate cyber threats.

Additionally, Director Wray addressed the concerning issue of kidnappings for ransom in Nigeria. He noted that the FBI's International Violent Crimes Unit is engaging with Nigerian law enforcement to provide investigative assistance and training to help combat this threat.

Throughout his engagements, Director Wray underscored the robust relationship between the FBI and Nigerian law enforcement. He thanked the U.S. Mission in Nigeria for its close collaboration with the FBI's legal attaché office in Abuja to advance shared security objectives.

The FBI collaborates with international law enforcement through a network of legal attaché offices worldwide, including in Lagos, Nigeria. Joint investigations, information sharing, and capacity-building with global partners like Nigeria are key to the FBI's mission to protect the American people and uphold the rule of law.

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